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Address of Gen. Isaac S. Catlin 

At the Montauk Theatre, Brooklyn, N. Y., 
March 27, 1898, on the Initiation of a 
Movement to Raise Funds to Constiiict a 

MONUMENT TO THE MEMORY OF THE 

Martyrs of the Battleship Maine 



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Address of Gen. Isaac S- Catlin 

AT THE MONTAUK THEATRE, 

BROOKLYN, N. Y., MARCH 27, 1898, 

On the Initiation of a Movement to 
Raise Funds to Construct a 

Monument to the Memory of the 

MARTYRS OF THE BATTLESHIP MAINE. 



OwEGO Gazette Job Print. 
1908. 



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^^^ ^^^^ ^Vl^fVVi^;/<'^/ 



The Destruction of the Maine. 



The warshi]), "Maiiip," was blown np on the l.'tli of 
Fcbniavy, 1898, and tlio wm-k, witli the nMiiains of more 
than two Imndi-cd of tlic <iallant crew, is Wwv^ at tlic 
bottom of the hai-bor of Havana, Cuba. Shortly after 
Ihc shockiiiu' cjilamity a iiioNcment of the ]»ress and jieo- 
]»h' of I>i-ookIyn was initiated to raise a fund to erect a 
monument to the memory of the ".Martyi-s cd' the Maine." 
A meetin.u of tiie mana.ucrs of all the theatres in Brook- 
lyn resulted ill an agreement that a benefit entertain- 
ment shuiild be uiven at each theatre and the proceeds 
'•'•ini'ibiited to the ••.Monument I-'iind."" At the lirst 
I liii.u (»f the maua.ucrs it was aii'reed that the tirsi en- 
tertainment should be liiven at the Montank Theatre, 
ilie most s]»acious jmblic buildin.ii- in the city, exce]>t the 
Academy «»f .Music The iiiaiiaiicrs unanimously invited 
<i<'iieral 1. S. Cailiu to delixcr an oraiiim, which was 
jmlilished suhsiaut ially in full in the daily papers and 
A\ liicli is c(»pied and published herein. 

Se\-eral (»f the surxivors of the wrecked battleship 
were present and occui)ied one (d' the lar.iic |U«)sceniuui 
boxes. Lieutenant A. W. (allin, »d' the l'. S. Marine 



Corps, who was on board the "Maine" at the exph)sion, 
sent the hotter jiublislied hehiw to (General Catlin. The 
theatre was crowded to overflowino; on the eveninii" of the 
]iH»etino', March 27, 181)S, and a hir«ie snni was realized, 
{IS the admission fee was one dolhir, with no free list. 

Lieut. Catlin's Letter. 

NEwr.riujH, X. Y., .March 2(1, l.sOS. 
Dhau (tExekal: 

I was in New York Thnrsday and Friday and conse- 
<|nently did not receive yonr letter or telegram nntil this 
morning. 

I am very sorry that I will he nnahle to attend the 
benefit to-morrow night, and also to meet yon, whom I 
liave long >\ished to meet, bnt I have made arrangements 
to go to (xloversville to see my father. As I (h) not ex- 
]»ect to remain long here I do not like to pnt off my trip 
there, as I may get orders any day. 1 am 
Sincerely Yonrs, 

A. W. Catlin, 

First Lieut. F. S. ^L C. 
To Cen'l Isaac S. Catlin. 



General Catlin's Address. 

Ladies (111(1 (hittlniicii II nd Siirriror.s of I lie liatl hsliip 
Maine : 

We lia\(' met licrc lo-iijnlit in the ]»ui-<' s])ii-ii of (-(Misc- 
cralioii and sacn'ticc, to manife.st onr son-ow and lii-icf 
over a .ureal national ralaniitv and to couti-ibnte to a 
sacred fnnd that shall be sacredly expended to perpetu- 
ate tlie memories of 25:} hrav(> men and noble patriots. 

A mi.iihty warship, in which the citizens of lirooklyn 
had a peculiar interest, planned and I)nilt at onr own 
Xavy Yard, under the directions of onr own nei<>hbor and 
friend, (leneral JJenj. F. Tracy, when he was Secretary of 
the Xavy, christened by his accomi)lished iiranddan-ih- 
ter,and successfully lanuclnMl amid the wild jdanditsand 
prolon<ied huzzahs of a lireat thrcm.iiof Hi-ooklyn ]>eople; 
a ship of which we were all justly ])roud, of which the 
whole nation was proud, whose construction and efti- 
ciency and ])ower were the subject of admiration and 
imitation by foreijiu <i-overuments, sueh a shi]), our own 
.i;reat ship, was shattered and sunk in the Harbor of 
Havana on the fifteenth day of February, JS!)S. 

While at such a lime and on such an occasion it is al- 
most sacrile<i(' to dwell U|»on material values and mater- 
ial loss, it is nev(M-lheless a har<l, cold, sava.ii'e, relentless 
fart ijiat millions of dollai-s in value of national prop- 
erty went to destrnclion in a minute, in the tw iiddini: of 
an eye, and the taniiled mass, the broken, woithless 
wreck is sinkinjn' irreti'ievably and inextricably in the 
dai-k. iiiiiddy depths of that ill-fated harlxir. 

Ah : but that is not the loss w liich we came here to coii- 
sidei'. (Ireal as it is, id-ofoundly as we i-e^i-et that 



calamity to the uatiou, sliockinjji; and imfortiinate as it is 
to know that one of our mighty \\arsliips, one of onr 
great national protectors and defenders, has been de- 
stroyed be3oud repair or recovery, yet that loss, that 
calamity, that destruction did not bring us here on this 
occasion; they do not excite tmr sensibilities to-night nor 
stir our emotions to their jtrofoundest depths. No fellow 
citizens, the temper, the mettle, tlie spirit of this great 
audience has been wrought up to the highest tension, to 
the severest strain by a loss, a calamity, a great sliock 
which has been felt the world over, tbat has placed every 
true American home in mourning and in tears, that has 
placed the flag of the nation at half-mast all ovcm- tlie 
land in honor of its brave defenders. Our hearts have 
been stricken, our bosoms agitated, our emotions awak- 
ened by the contemplation of the terrible death, the 
dreadful slaughter of two hundred and fifty-three pa- 
triots, who went d(n\n to a watcn-y grave with their shat- 
tered vess(d. Our patriotism has been touched to the 
(piick, our philanthropy has been keenly excited by the 
tearful reflection that the gallant nu^n who were ready 
to defend their ship, ready to serve their country, and to 
protect their flag at any moment, who were willing to 
face any danger, or any emergency of duty, were 
stricken down at a time when they were helpless and 
hopeless as the explosion and crash came. And we dvo 
hm-e with the knowledge of the awful fact that 253 
firesides have been robbed of loved ones, that 253 h(nnes 
have been wrapped in impenetrabh- gloom and sadness 
and that 253 families have each an empty chair at the 
hearthstone to-night. Oh I fell(>w citizens, how utterly 
inadequate are Avords to (express tli<' inconsolable sorrow 
of the families and near relatives of those brave men of 
the Maine I O fathers, mothers, wives, sisters, brothers, 
lovers, you, who are sobl)ing this moment for those who 



woiii down fo (](';itli on tluit ;nvfnl nio-ht and who will 
iicvci', H('\('i' return to voiir lionies or your (Miihracc^s 
a.uain, oiii- souls bleed for yon in this honi- of yonr hitler 
a<>-ony. Oh that we conld pom- the healing halm of com- 
fort and consolation n])on yoni- hereft and hi-okcn lixcs! 
r.nt we cannot, tliat must come from on hi,«ili. 

We can, howcnci-. and will as ])atriots and |>liilan- 
thropists, hel]> to j»resei'\-e and ])er|)etnate the memories 
an<l nohle sacrifice (»f your lo\-ed ones. \\'e will a]»])eal 
to jiatriots, to j)ati-iotic men and women throu-hont oui- 
fireat rei>nhlic, to say not by their words alone hut hy 
their deeds that yonr hrave kinsmen shall not he for- 
.i^-otten. We will appeal to them, as we onrselv<'s have 
been ai»pealed to, to aid in buildini;- a tittini; monument 
to keej) their sacrifices and their memories <ireen to the 
latest |)ostei-ity. This is tlie least that the i)atriotisni 
and hene\(.lence of the American jieople should accom- 
plish. A monunuMit should be erected so lari;e, so broad, 
so massi\-e and so substantial that ni)on its towerinii 
walls may lie inscrilied the cherished name of evei-\- hero 
who went down t(> death with his sliijt that niuht. 
Tlir(»u,uli the generous and pali'iotic cndeaN'ors of our 
di-amatic fi-iends we Ikinc made a splendid be,«iinnin<;- in 
r.i-(»(»klyn lo iii^hl. The theatrical profession, the ]>ro- 
l)ri«'toi-s, mana<i('rs, actors, and actresses alike, are al- 
ways ready to contribute to and sacrifice thems(dves for 
a ji'ood cause. Indeed, they are always first to oiler their 
sei-vices; hence they are always first in peace, lirsi in 
war, ainl lii'st in the lieaiMs of llieii- ((uiutiymen. when 
cluirity. beiie\(»leiice, and |ialriotism ai-e involved, and 
when the spirit of humanity is ajipealcd to. They 
l>roniptly respon*! at all times and on all occasions, when 
they can help to relieve human suffei-in;Li ;ind bind up the 
bleedim: hearts of tlieii- fellow men and w<mien. They 
lia\(' resp(uuled beautifully and gracefully here to-niiiht. 



and I voice tlie overflowing- sentiment of gmtitude of this 
lii-eat patriotic audience when I thank them sincerely 
and profoundly for their valuable and gratuitous ser- 
vices on this memorial occasion. 

And let us earnestly strive to comi)lete the noble ^^■ork 
we have initiated to-night. Let us see to it that so 
prompt and so satisfactory and so complete shall be our 
etforts to erect the monument now contemplated that we 
all, without an absent soul, shall be present when it shall 
her(^after be unveiled and dedicated to the memory of 
the gallant 253 of the ill-fated -Maine." 

Monuments, fellow citizens, however lofty their pur- 
l)ose, are proverbially slow in completion. It took eigh- 
teen years to complete the IJunker Hill .Monument after 
tli(» corner stone had been laid. The Monumental Tomb 
on the Hudson for the sacred ashes of the great Captain 
of the Union Army would scarcely have been com])leted 
during the present generation, and perhaps never, had it 
not been for the sleepless and tireless energy and com- 
manding influence of his distinguished friend and com- 
rade and historian, Horace Porter. For nearly or (juite 
a century have anxious and earnest patriots and Chris- 
tians, men and women alike, been appealing in turn to 
( Mty, State and Nation to erect a suitable monument to 
the memory of the unflinching patriots who were the vic- 
tims and martyrs of the prison ships at this Port during 
the war of the devolution, and no apjjropriate shaft or 
suitable column has as yet been erected. If ever delays 
are dangerous, if ever procrastination is the veritable 
thief of time, it is strikingly illustrated in the endeavor 
to raise a monument, when that endeavor is bas(Ml upon 
an abstract sentiment, however pure and exalted. lint 
we must not fail, we must not falter in this work. Let us 
make this undertaking a notable and conspicuous ex- 



ccptloii to tlio .iiviKM-al rule. \\V lunv Iii.nh incentive to 
oi)liose and frown npon any shiooislincss or dclav in this 
l)atriolic ciilci-pi-isc. \\'(' Imvc tlic synqtat liy of the 
(Mii-istian woi-ld. We lia\e the active, ir!-e]>ressihle, ii-- 
rcsisf ihle inliiience of the Press and of individual philaii- 
thro|)isls to spur us on, to help us on, and tinally to draw 
oil, if we cannot Iiuild the nionunient by public c(»ntri- 
hul ion alone. 

And now, fellow citizens, let ns c(Misidei' for a sin^](» 
niouient the cause of the awtid catastrophe that has 
aroused the active interest of every ]>ati-iot in the land 
and attracted the attention of the civilized world. I ap- 
prehend, however, it is not necessary to seriously discuss 
it before an American andience. Their hearts, theii- In- 
st ijicls, their coiniiHdi sense have ali-eady informed theui 
of the true cause. They ai-e icady to ex(daim with their 
co-jiatriots everywhere in the land, "Oh I Spain, S])ain, 
Thou hast numy sins, many crimes to answer for at the 
last <ii'eat day when we all shall he judiicd accordin«; to 
the deeds done here in the l»ody; but no s(ditary sin, no 
siuii'le ci'ime will count so tremendously a;i,ainst you in 
that awful day cd' reck(niin<i- as the desti'uction of that 
.urand ship and her helpless, innocent crew. "Steeled as 
you ha\-e been for centnries to barbarity by the cries of 
the orphans and the tears of the widows you have made," 
the most start linji!,- and bloody acconnt yon will have to 
meet and settle before the .ureat WhiteTliriuie w ill be the 
ti«'ndishness which inade it possible b»r that ^reat war- 
slii]» t(t be blow 11 up and her crew assassinated. I Unow 
this is i)lain talk and a teri-ible charge. 1 know, too, i he 
delicate and rose scented vcM-abnlary of diplomacy may 
t'ontain and furnish lan.iiua.uc in whi( h arjiuments may 
be (MMist inctc'd U) convince men, who are afraid of the im- 
pairment of \alii('s, or who posses the conservatism n\' 
icebergs, thai there is yet a (jin siioii as to the cause or 



the ajiency of tliat infernal crime; bnt men and wonuMi 
who have the coura.iie of their convictions, who are not 
afraid to nse the hin<>iiai>e of common, every-day dis- 
course, wlio ai-e not afraid to call things by their right 
names, who can reason in a straight line from cause to 
(effect, such men and women cannot satisfy their own 
judgments or their own consciences in any other way 
tlian by declaring in the face of the whole world that 
our beloved ship and our ])eloved <-ountrynuni were de- 
stroyed l)y outs'ulv force. It would Ix^ an unconscionable 
and inexcusable outrage to charge it to the fault of 
original construction after all we know; still more un- 
l>ardouable and diabolical would it be to charge it to ac- 
cident, to lack of discipline, at a time and place Avhen 
and where discipline was of necessity most exacting, and 
where, therefore, accident would be impossible. 

^Ve who are not of the Cabinet or the Court, whose 
tongues are not locked, whose lips are not sealed, Avhose 
])atriotism is not hidden under a blanket, know that the 
friendly relations which the politeness of diplomacy an- 
nounces to exist between the two governments, exist only 
in theory and not in fact, and do not exist in theory or in 
fact betw(H^u the great body of the two peoples. The 
universal sympathy of our people for the Cuban patriots 
has been met by universal animosity by the Spanish peo- 
ple. The removal of Weyler from comuuind in Cuba 
through the moral influence of our governnu^nt was al- 
most a casus belli among the Spanish people. The trial 
of autonomy among the insurgents in Cuba which our 
government has the credit oT urging upon the Spanish 
.Ministry was bitterly opposed by Spanish subjects in 
Cuba and at home. The forced recall of DeLonie, whose 
passport and "walking papers" we gave him in a hurry, 
was another cause of exasperation and hatred in the 



Sjiaiiisli nniiy and ainoii^ I lie masses (if the S)iaiiisli 
civilians. 

AikI iIkmi last, iC not least, when the •".Maine"" was 
hnlletined to sail for Cnltan waters (of eonrse on a 
friendly visit \ and finally came steauiinii' i)rondly into 
the hostile Ilai-hor of Havana, the cu]) of Si)anisli i-e- 
venii'e and hate ovei-flowcMl in lon-enls. Tims all the 
facts and circnnistances, all the jn-ohahilit ies and sur- 
ronndin.us show as clearly as the noonday sun thai 
thousands ujion tlKHisands of Sjianiards in Havana 
had the evil mind, the evil purpose, the evil 
intent, and all they wanted wcM-e the means 
and opi)ortunity (and they wei-e at hand all the 
time and at every moment) to blow up that shi]> 
Need we the re|)orts of (Nuirts of hupiii-y oi- of experts 
(o tell us how the e.\-]»losion came and who apjdied the 
mat( h? f'or six years the uohle ship had successfully 
sailed the seas in calm and st(^rm and had safely cast her 
an(dior ami raised it in hundreds of ports and harbors. 
How hajtpens it, how ha]»]iens it, fellow cit i/.ens,( hat her 
lii'st, her last, and her (Uily accident should ha\'e <»;•- 
curred in a hostile liaihoi-, around which and o\-er which 
the iulluence and ]»owei', as well as the enmitv, (d' Wey- 
ler had still complete and uid)r(tken c(Uitrol? Do w c 
need to he told I lieu, do we need to be instructed, do we 
need any liiiht but the li.uht of our own reason and com- 
mon sense to enable us to fix the cause <d" the nation"s 
loss and t he nat iim's sori'ow ? 

And, my friends, if it were not loi- the preci(His li\-es 
that were lost when the ship was blown to atoms, we 
miiiht e\(Mi rejoice at the calamity in the liiiht of what 
we lia\"e recently seen. We miuht tind sidace and satis- 
faction in the i-ich and ample c(uupensal i<ui which has 

flowed from ii ah-eady. The eci f that fatal e\plosi(m 

has ar(»used the loyal American jieoitle as the sIkU at 



Fort Suiuter aroused the loval I'uioiiists of the nation 
in 18()1. More than that, and better than that, it has 
united the h)Yal North to the h\Yal South and tlie h)yal 
Soutli to the h)yal North in bonds that never can airain 
be broken or weakened. It has unite<l all sections and 
all creeds and all parties, so that at this hour, it can be 
trnthfullv and triumphantly i»roclainied that in the 
lenijth and breadth of this nation there are no politics 
but patriotism, no party but our country, no creed but 
the Constitution, and no sentinuMit but the tla.*;. And 
were any special proof needed of the truth of this broad 
statement, it could be easily and (piickly furnished. A 
spectacle has been recently witnessed in the Capitol of 
the country that has no precedent or parallel in any 
other land on (xod's footstool. .Money was neechnl fin- 
the burial of the dead and the care of the living of the 
wrecked battleshi]), and without delay or dissension t^vo 
hundred thousand dollars were voted by Conjiress and 
approved by the prcvsident. Artillery troops were 
needed to nmn and ^^•ork our batteries along our coasts 
and in our forts, and at once a bill was offered i)royiding 
for two Kegiments of Artillery, which was promptly 
passed with only three oi)posing votes, and I am credibly 
informed that the uuni who cast those votes have been 
looking around ever since to ascertain ''where they are 
at." A great, emergent crisis apjteared to confront the 
nation, seemed to threaten the i»eace of the country, 
when a few patriotic gentlemen reiu'esenting the various 
factions and parties and sections in Congress were in- 
vited by the President to assendde at the P^xecutive 
Mansion to discuss and advise what should be done, and 
before the public fairly and fully comprehend the criti- 
cal situation, a bill was hurried through both houses of 
<'ongress, authorizing and empowering the President to 
expend fifty millionsof dollars in defending the nation or 



in iii;ikiu<i war, should the honor of the nntion, the cansc 
of humanity, or tiic cnforcciMenl of (mii- national i-i_nhts 
(lonnnKl it. This is the sort of a "vote of contidciUM*""" 
that was i^ivcn to onr brave, wise, strong, Icvel-hcadcMl 
I"].\(M-nti\'(*. 

(Jod j^rant, I rcitcat, that war mar not be uooessary. 
(Jod lirant that wisdom and discretion, instead of pride 
and passion, shall characterize for once the Si)anish 
<i;-overnment. If the Ministi-y at Madrid shall accede to 
the demand for a just re])ara(ion and ami»le comixMisa- 
tion for the ci-ime aiiainst the "Maine*" and hei- ci-ew; if 
the iuhniiian hntcheries of non-combatants, the w hoh'- 
sale destruction of women and children by starvation, 
and other nns])eakable cruelties in Cuba shall cease and 
a brave peojde shall be accorded their fn^'dom and in- 
depenchMice, the awful alternative of war will be 
a\'oided. If Sjtain, even for a price, shall cease to o])- 
press and despoil the nati\(' Cubans who Iia\'(^ been so 
loni; and so i;allantly contendinii i'ov their I'i.uhts, \\\n) 
have so loni; been looking toward our shores with ex- 
pectant hoi»e, who have so long been liftiuin' their out- 
stretched arms towai'(l us and our land of freedoui, liop- 
inil and prayinu the time wouhl coiue at last when we 
would sec llicm, |»ity tlieiu and help them, then the way 
is cleai- for peace. One thin<; is sure, fellow citizens, the 
day for Cuba is here; the hour has come when the fetters 
shall be stricken frcun the lind>s of the Cuban ]>atriots, 
who will arise like a sti'onii man after sleej), and make 
that once bountiful, beautiful Pearl of the Antilles blos- 
som auain like t he r(»se. 



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